BASALT · JOURNAL
An offline PDF workflow for lawyers
Legal teams handle privileged communications, discovery, filings, medical records, and client identity documents. An offline workflow can reduce unnecessary data transfer while keeping the review process predictable.
Separate source, work, and production copies
Protect the original, use a working copy for review, and export a production copy with stable naming. Define issue codes and redaction rules before marking. Keep logs and mappings outside the released PDF.
Search and inspect beyond visible text
Search native text and OCR, then inspect images, forms, comments, attachments, metadata, and scripts. Review tables, signatures, and barcodes visually. A redaction must remove the underlying data, not just display a mark.
Verify the production
Check page order, labels, numbering, links, file size, and redaction permanence. Reopen the output in an independent viewer and record the verification result.
Frequently asked questions
Does offline processing replace access controls?
No. It reduces a transfer risk; permissions, encryption, and retention still matter.
Should every production PDF be flattened?
Use the format required by the matter. Flattening may help create a static copy but must be verified.
What is the most common redaction mistake?
Leaving the original text or pixels underneath a visual overlay.
Doing it in Basalt
Basalt provides local PDF editing, search, destructive redaction, and verification in one Mac workflow. Download Basalt.
Redaction that proves itself
Basalt destroys the content you mark, then re-opens the file it wrote and proves the content is gone before it saves anything. Your documents never leave your Mac.